Chicago is proud to be one of four cities to host the first tour starring the talented cast of Glee. The engagement will take place at Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River, Rosemont, Tuesday-Wed., May 25-26. The primetime hit on FOX focuses on a high school's show choir. The second season begins Tuesday, April 13.
Rumor has it that the openly gay character Kurt Hummel, portrayed by the out Chris Colfer, will have a boyfriend this season. Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth will be back to her scene-stealing ways. Her Wicked co-star, Idina Menzel, also is expected to have a guest role on Glee once the series resumes.
After going to culinary school and being vocal about ex-husband Nas' extramarital affairs, Kelis makes a triumphant comeback with "Acapella." Don't let the title fool you; Kelis' new single, dedicated to her infant son, has an irresistible groove. The chorus will be imbedded in the listener's head, as she sings, "Before you, my heart was acapella. Now our symphony is the only song to sing."
This track ranks well among Kelis' many tremendous accomplishments, including providing the hook on Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Got Your Money," her 2001 single "Young, Fresh 'n New" and her sugary smash "Milkshake." The David Guetta produced "Acapella" is from Kelis' upcoming album, Flesh Tone. Remixes by Dave Aude helped "Acapella" reach the top spot on Billboard's Club Airplay chart.
Sigur Ros's frontman Jonsi is stepping out again on his own, this time with the proper solo album Go. Last year he released a side project with his partner, Alex Somers, under the alias Riceboy Sleeps. Go opens with a rejuvenating festival of sounds on "Go Do" and "Animal Arithmetic." The Icelandic artist's voice reaches the stratosphere on "Kolnidur." "Grow Till Tall" and "Hengilas" are pure ethereal magic thanks to the queer singer's soaring vocals. Jonsi is scheduled to play at the Vic Theatre, 3145 N. Sheffield, Tuesday-Wed., April 27-28.
Chances are you have heard some of Jonsi's work already. Sigur Ros' "Svefn-g-englar" has surfaced in the films Vanilla Sky and Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth as well as TV's Queer as Folk. The otherworldly song recently was used on the sci-fi series V during the bliss scene. He also teams with Tiesto on the Dutch DJ's "Kaleidoscope."
Pet Shop Boys' tours manage to keep fresh by having hits rearranged and overlooked goodies dusted off, as witnessed on Pandemonium Live. "West End Girls" has a heavenly synthesized vibe, whereas the party animal in "Left to My Own Devices" is mashed up with Donna Summer's evergreen "I Feel Love." Similarly, "Pandemonium" cleverly is paired with the instrumentation to duo's own "Can You Forgive Her?" The string of midtempo numbers, starting off with "Do I Have To?," slows down the pace, only to be revived with the great choreography to "Jealousy."
During The Pandemonium Tour, the Chicago audience was not treated to "What Have I Done to Deserve This?," which is included here. Dusty Springfield joins for the duet via an onscreen projection. The set is minimal, but effective with a lively light show, futuristic costumes for the back up dancers and strategically placed white moving boxes. The DVD's bonus track is a hits medley from the 2009 Brit Awards with cameos by Brandon Flowers and Lady Gaga. The audiovisual quality here is outstanding, too. Pandemonium Live is available now.
Who doesn't like free music? Ohvaur is saying au revoir to the traditional methods of getting music out to fans. By simply signing up to join the band's mailing list at ohvaur.com, subscribers will have free access to mp3s. There are no required subscriptions to other mailing lists or even a request for credit-card information. Ohvaur beautifully blends sophisticated atmospheric sounds with down-tempo soul and a classical influence. The band's first EP is currently available for a free download through Ohvaur's mailing list. More music is expected to be posted soon.
There is something to be said for feathered hair, aviator sunglasses, plucked eyebrows and iron-on T-shirts. Throw in some young, sexually liberated rock-n-rollers with an underdog story into the mix for the phenomenal movie The Runaways.
Based on lead singer Cherie Currie's book Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway, the film traces the teen all-female rock group's short-lived career. Following the Hollywood trend, there are liberties taken with actual events here, like the fictionalized bass player. Rhythm guitarist Joan Jett is a co-producer of the biopic. However, the "Light of Day" singer wanted nothing to do with the moving 2004 documentary Edgeplay: A Film about the Runaways, which has contributions from her former bandmates, including Lita Ford and the late Sandy West.
Jett is slated to headline at Northalsted Markets Days Sunday, Aug. 8. The icon, known for her eyeliner, is often coy about her sexuality. Perhaps the eponymously titled autobiography due out this month via AMMO Books will have some revelations.
The motion picture's soundtrack features fantastic anthems of the era like "Rebel Rebel" and "Pretty Vacant," plus Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning's remaking of classics like "Cherry Bomb." As a tie-in, Jett recently released the two-disc Greatest Hits. Now she has her own guitar line, the Gibson Joan Jett Blackheart Melody Maker, as well as an iPhone application.
